A TINY home village in Albuquerque is helping its residents re-integrate into community living.
The transitional housing program in New Mexico is operated by Bernalillo County and provides a safe place to live for people who need it, for up to two years.
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Each of the 30 homes in the tiny home village has a bed, desk, shelving, refrigerator and heating/cooling unit.
Bathrooms and the kitchen are shared and there’s also a community garden, BBQ and indoor/outdoor living space.
Dogs are also allowed in the village – though numbers are limited – so there’s a dog park, too.
MEETING HOUSING NEEDS
According to the Bernalillo County website, the transitional housing program is designed to “assist clients to achieve success in and satisfaction with community living and propel them into a more stable and sustainable living situation.
“The services are focused on home and community integration and engagement in productive activities.”
To be eligible for a tiny home potential residents must fulfil a series of criteria. These include:
- Being homeless
- Over 18 years old
- Able to live independently, including cooking and cleaning
- Willing to live in a community and play a positive role in village life
- Willing to abide by the community agreements and safety
- Willing to work on personal goals towars sustainable long-term housing, life skills, mental health and other goals identified by the treatment team
Individuals live in the tiny home village for 18 to 24 months, after which the aim is for them to move to more permanent housing.
There are limited places available and prospective residents must be referred to the community.
There’s a waiting list for anybody interested in living there.
As part of the community, people are expected to take part in village activities and work with the case management team to set health and housing goals.
INCREASINGLY POPULAR
Tiny homes have become big news in recent years because of the soaring price of real estate, coupled with cost of living increases.
They’re a first step on the property ladder, but they’re also one possible solution for people looking to downsize, or those after a holiday home.
For households with adult kids, they can provide extra living space in the back yard, as well as being ideal as home offices or garden retreats.
As the trend for tiny homes continues, the bijou buildings now seem to be increasingly popular as a solution to social housing needs.
In Minnesota, 12 tiny homes are to be built by a nondenominational church to help the homeless.
And in California, Stockton Blvd Safe Stay Community Shelter welcomed the first residents to its 155-home tiny village in Sacramento at the end of last year.
While in Ferris, Texas, a faith-based group has just completed the first phase – 25 houses – of a development that will create up to 500 homes across 130 acres.
